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a_reader_obsessed's review
3.0
3.5 Hearts
Consistent good fare, this was another DSP Beyond win!
As per the blurb, Adrian has long resigned himself to being that rare werewolf who is unable to shift into an actual wolf - a genetic anomaly that he’s had 8 years to come to terms with. Well apparently, his body is uncooperative in following any of the rules, and Adrian is far away from home as he starts to undergo some terrifying changes heralding his impending shift with the looming full moon.
Luckily, nearby is Camp H.O.W.L., a place where many werewolves-to-be go to for 24/7 support. Tate is a full time psychologist/counselor who works there, and he’s tasked with bringing Adrian in safely. Despite the immediate attraction Tate has for Adrian, he never expects to find in him his mate
Now, this would all be fine and dandy typically, but Tate has had a terrible past, conditioned by a father who used his alpha status to take advantage of those under his care, basically using the idea of the mate bond to control, manipulate, and twist things horribly in his favor. Though Tate escaped that life, his jaded heart has no room for love, let alone a mate, despite all the signs pointing towards him and Adrian being perfect for each other.
Narrated by Dorian Bane, I appreciated his earnestness and enthusiasm on the behalf of all the characters in this story, nicely bringing them to life. He has a consistently raspy voice that is different from the usual narrator, but I felt that this didn't detract at all.
Overall, I obviously liked this understated werewolf/mates story. Some may be a bit bored and some may be frustrated with Tate’s reluctance, but I thought this was still a great slow build with reasonable progression of how two people, both different and both outcasts in their own right, find in each other safety, acceptance, and ultimately, love.
Again, as with most of these types of stories in this series, this was consistently sweet with a dash of sexy, and I enjoyed this easy, laidback listen.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for a honest review
Consistent good fare, this was another DSP Beyond win!
As per the blurb, Adrian has long resigned himself to being that rare werewolf who is unable to shift into an actual wolf - a genetic anomaly that he’s had 8 years to come to terms with. Well apparently, his body is uncooperative in following any of the rules, and Adrian is far away from home as he starts to undergo some terrifying changes heralding his impending shift with the looming full moon.
Luckily, nearby is Camp H.O.W.L., a place where many werewolves-to-be go to for 24/7 support. Tate is a full time psychologist/counselor who works there, and he’s tasked with bringing Adrian in safely. Despite the immediate attraction Tate has for Adrian, he never expects to find in him his mate
Now, this would all be fine and dandy typically, but Tate has had a terrible past, conditioned by a father who used his alpha status to take advantage of those under his care, basically using the idea of the mate bond to control, manipulate, and twist things horribly in his favor. Though Tate escaped that life, his jaded heart has no room for love, let alone a mate, despite all the signs pointing towards him and Adrian being perfect for each other.
Narrated by Dorian Bane, I appreciated his earnestness and enthusiasm on the behalf of all the characters in this story, nicely bringing them to life. He has a consistently raspy voice that is different from the usual narrator, but I felt that this didn't detract at all.
Overall, I obviously liked this understated werewolf/mates story. Some may be a bit bored and some may be frustrated with Tate’s reluctance, but I thought this was still a great slow build with reasonable progression of how two people, both different and both outcasts in their own right, find in each other safety, acceptance, and ultimately, love.
Again, as with most of these types of stories in this series, this was consistently sweet with a dash of sexy, and I enjoyed this easy, laidback listen.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for a honest review
jambrea's review
4.0
I very much enjoyed this take on a shifter book! I mean... Bru Baker created a school to help with the shift. That's pretty awesome. Then she threw a wrench into the whole thing by having someone shift later in life. The story was wonderful and the characters were great. I wouldn't mind more in this world!! Great, fun read!
bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
A really great start to the Camp H.O.W.L. series from Bru Baker. Adrian may have been born into a powerful werewolf family but when he didn't experience his first change at the normal age he resigned himself to living his life as a human. When a work trip takes a turn for the worse, suddenly Adrian finds himself experiencing Turn symptoms thousands of miles away from his pack, years later than he should. With a swift rescue from the counselors of Camp H.O.W.L. Adrian finds a place to safely understand his turn and something he doesn't expect, his moonmate. Tate doesn't believe in moonmates and finding his among his campers was completely unexpected. But Tate's upbringing lead him to a life complete cut off himself off from his pack. Meeting Adrian means facing his past and facing his long held beliefs. Can he open himself up to love and possible happiness? A really great read, exciting to see where it goes next!
adammm's review
4.0
Sometimes I don't understand ratings on Goodreads. This is a perfectly good - even above average - werewolf romance book (not a/b/o for what it's worth) yet its rating is criminally low. I suppose the main reason is due to the book being a bit of a slow burn, but that can be tied to one of the protagonists having a very messed up past (he grew up in a werewolf cult). I do think that the book could be a little more detailed - like, we see interesting world-building with the werewolf tribunal, werewolf camps, and so on, yet we don't see much else - like inside one of the protagonist's heads. I guess that's pretty much par for the course for most Dreamspinner books. Anyways, it's a good read. Recommended if you like instalove; slow burns; hurt/comfort; reasonable (not extreme) recovery; and lessons on using social media as a werewolf.
aishoka's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Werewolves hiding in plain sight. T.Swift levels of angst. Interesting premise of first shift as second puberty and the consequences if it is delayed.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Gaslighting
aligroen's review
4.0
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Audiobook Review:
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
This was a nice story. Both of these characters had a lot of their own issues to get through for their relationship to work. Adrian doesn’t connect the dots until it’s almost too late that he is going to go through his Turn. Tate has made his life helping the young werewolves successfully complete their change and even if he’s hiding from himself.
Adrian has been living as a disappointment to his family ever since he didn’t go through his Turn like all those his age and I could feel his sadness and how detached he feels from his family because of this. Tate has been running from the memory of his childhood for so long and helping others but you could see that even as he succeeds in helping most of the teens he doesn’t have a deep connection or friendship with many people.
I could see that they were both looking for somewhere to belong or someone to belong to but were afraid to voice that. I still have to wonder at the end of story what about Adrian’s genetics caused him to go through the Turn late and it didn’t seem that anyone knew or seemed inclined to really find out. I loved that they were both able to find somewhere to belong and be together with the support of Adrian’s family and their friends.
Dorian Bane did a great job narrating this story. I was able to connect with the characters and feel their emotions in his reading as he used different voices for the characters. His voice changes so much you really get to see the differences and personality of the characters.
Cover art by Aaron Anderson is very nice and works well for this story.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
This was a nice story. Both of these characters had a lot of their own issues to get through for their relationship to work. Adrian doesn’t connect the dots until it’s almost too late that he is going to go through his Turn. Tate has made his life helping the young werewolves successfully complete their change and even if he’s hiding from himself.
Adrian has been living as a disappointment to his family ever since he didn’t go through his Turn like all those his age and I could feel his sadness and how detached he feels from his family because of this. Tate has been running from the memory of his childhood for so long and helping others but you could see that even as he succeeds in helping most of the teens he doesn’t have a deep connection or friendship with many people.
I could see that they were both looking for somewhere to belong or someone to belong to but were afraid to voice that. I still have to wonder at the end of story what about Adrian’s genetics caused him to go through the Turn late and it didn’t seem that anyone knew or seemed inclined to really find out. I loved that they were both able to find somewhere to belong and be together with the support of Adrian’s family and their friends.
Dorian Bane did a great job narrating this story. I was able to connect with the characters and feel their emotions in his reading as he used different voices for the characters. His voice changes so much you really get to see the differences and personality of the characters.
Cover art by Aaron Anderson is very nice and works well for this story.
the_novel_approach's review
4.0
Full disclosure right up front: I haven’t read very many shifter stories. Like, very few. But, I decided to challenge myself to read outside my normal box when I saw Bru Baker’s Camp H.O.W.L. pop up on the radar. Having liked Baker’s books in the past, and being super intrigued by the premise laid out in the blurb—which was extremely well-written—I had to go for it. The thing about not having read much in the shifter realm, though, is that there could be things in this book that are so well-done or mind-blowing, I might have missed how cool they were! Or, conversely, there could be something that the author took in a direction that others who are more versed in the genre might take exception to. People are probably picky about their shifter lore. I dunno. BUT, I can tell you that I really liked this book, and give you some reasons why. 😊
I liked both characters a lot, but found Tate’s character to be the most compelling. Probably because he felt the most fleshed out. After suffering an abusive childhood, going through his Turn alone, and then leaving his pack, Tate built a new life for himself in Indiana. In college, he found a dear friend in Kenya, one of his psych professors, and after, he found safe harbor as a counselor at Camp H.O.W.L., a camp built to help young wolflings through their initial Turn. I loved the parts of the book where we got to see Tate in action, whether it was teaching a class at camp or helping one of the kids, or later, Adrian, through something difficult. He was great at his job, and his love for his work definitely came across.
The initial part of Adrian’s story made my heart hurt for him. How awful it must have felt, going to camp at age nineteen, along with all his peers, and waiting to experience his first Turn at moonrise, only to have nothing happen. Instead of learning how to deal with his new status as a wolfling, and going through the things everyone else in his family went through, and all other werewolves he knew went through, Adrian visited doctor after doctor to try to find out was “wrong” with him. The conclusion was that he was a genetic anomaly, that he was simply…human. And, he had no reason to think that diagnosis wasn’t correct—until collapsing in the street one day on the way to a work meeting.
It turns out that Adrian is an hour or so away from Camp H.O.W.L. when he collapses, so Tate and one of the other counselors are sent by the camp director to the hospital to get him. The instant attraction both Adrian and Tate feel for each other is unsettling, but neither can deny that it feels right somehow. When a werewolf is transitioning for the first time, it is common, preferential really, to experience what is called a Turn bond. This bond comforts the wolflings, and helps ease them through the transition. When they realize that Adrian is, in fact, Turning, they assume what is happening between them is simply the Turn bond. However, the intensity of the bond causes everyone to believe that it’s much more than just the Turn bond, but is, instead, an actual instance of the somewhat mythical concept of moonmates. This is tough for Tate to accept, though, since his father bastardized the idea of the bond by claiming multiple women as his “moonmates” as a way to justify his polygamy and lecherous ways. Tate definitely put Adrian through his paces while he worked through everything.
At the end of the day, Tate absolutely can’t deny how easy and perfect things feel with Adrian. And, it’s not just the massive physical pull he feels; he also wants the domestic bliss he is picturing in his mind more and more. I dug the idea of moonmates, and loved what the author did with this part of the storyline. The guys were really sweet together when we got to see it. I wish there had been a little more of them hanging out and getting to know each other, to help establish the relationship even more.
So, I’ll admit to being a bit nervous when I started this book, for the reasons I mentioned at the beginning, but Camp H.O.W.L. turned out to be such a fun read! More good stuff from the Dreamspun Beyond line from Dreamspinner. Definitely check this one out, guys!
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
I liked both characters a lot, but found Tate’s character to be the most compelling. Probably because he felt the most fleshed out. After suffering an abusive childhood, going through his Turn alone, and then leaving his pack, Tate built a new life for himself in Indiana. In college, he found a dear friend in Kenya, one of his psych professors, and after, he found safe harbor as a counselor at Camp H.O.W.L., a camp built to help young wolflings through their initial Turn. I loved the parts of the book where we got to see Tate in action, whether it was teaching a class at camp or helping one of the kids, or later, Adrian, through something difficult. He was great at his job, and his love for his work definitely came across.
The initial part of Adrian’s story made my heart hurt for him. How awful it must have felt, going to camp at age nineteen, along with all his peers, and waiting to experience his first Turn at moonrise, only to have nothing happen. Instead of learning how to deal with his new status as a wolfling, and going through the things everyone else in his family went through, and all other werewolves he knew went through, Adrian visited doctor after doctor to try to find out was “wrong” with him. The conclusion was that he was a genetic anomaly, that he was simply…human. And, he had no reason to think that diagnosis wasn’t correct—until collapsing in the street one day on the way to a work meeting.
It turns out that Adrian is an hour or so away from Camp H.O.W.L. when he collapses, so Tate and one of the other counselors are sent by the camp director to the hospital to get him. The instant attraction both Adrian and Tate feel for each other is unsettling, but neither can deny that it feels right somehow. When a werewolf is transitioning for the first time, it is common, preferential really, to experience what is called a Turn bond. This bond comforts the wolflings, and helps ease them through the transition. When they realize that Adrian is, in fact, Turning, they assume what is happening between them is simply the Turn bond. However, the intensity of the bond causes everyone to believe that it’s much more than just the Turn bond, but is, instead, an actual instance of the somewhat mythical concept of moonmates. This is tough for Tate to accept, though, since his father bastardized the idea of the bond by claiming multiple women as his “moonmates” as a way to justify his polygamy and lecherous ways. Tate definitely put Adrian through his paces while he worked through everything.
You’re going through a huge, shocking change, and then there’s this wacked-out bond thrown on top of it with a broken, angry guy who doesn’t believe in that kind of mumbo jumbo.
At the end of the day, Tate absolutely can’t deny how easy and perfect things feel with Adrian. And, it’s not just the massive physical pull he feels; he also wants the domestic bliss he is picturing in his mind more and more. I dug the idea of moonmates, and loved what the author did with this part of the storyline. The guys were really sweet together when we got to see it. I wish there had been a little more of them hanging out and getting to know each other, to help establish the relationship even more.
So, I’ll admit to being a bit nervous when I started this book, for the reasons I mentioned at the beginning, but Camp H.O.W.L. turned out to be such a fun read! More good stuff from the Dreamspun Beyond line from Dreamspinner. Definitely check this one out, guys!
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
3minon's review
5.0
Camp H.O.W.L was a quick and entertaining read. I enjoyed the interplay between the characters.
rissa53's review
4.0
I know I've said it numerous times before but I love reading shifter stories because each one is amazing! I love how an author writes about this world that's their own and I love learning about this world they've created!
I like the idea of moonmates! :) I really like Adrian here. I liked Tate too but it took some time and I do not have Adrian's patience, lol.
Enjoyable book to read and will definitely read on with the series!
I like the idea of moonmates! :) I really like Adrian here. I liked Tate too but it took some time and I do not have Adrian's patience, lol.
Enjoyable book to read and will definitely read on with the series!
chickwriter's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this. It's light, romantic and a fun read.